This is Fox Sports Australia’s combat sports column Fighting Words, where we give you all the latest news and views in MMA and boxing, from Australia and abroad.
Nelson Asofa-Solomona has branded George Burgess “a gigantic sook” – and urged him to accept life as “the B Side fighter” – following a tense altercation inside Fox Sports Australia’s Sydney studio this week.
No Limit’s new crossover king has also questioned if South Sydney’s premiership hero is only making a boxing switch to shine more light on his new life as an actor, saying: “Maybe George thought he was going to be the main character for this one, too … but he’s not”.
Fighting Words can reveal a furious Burgess was left waiting for over two hours on Tuesday morning after ‘Big Nasty’ ran incredibly late for a scheduled ‘Face Off’ interview involving both fighters and Main Event’s Ben Damon.
So delayed was NAS to the Fox Sports studios shoot, producers feared Burgess was set to go AWOL at one point, with the retired Rabbitoh eventually forced to sit around at Sydney airport for a further three hours after missing his flight home to the Sunshine Coast — and an evening training session with his coach.
Paro v Crocker | Wednesday June 24 from 7pm AEST | Liam Paro gets his long awaited title shot against IBF welterweight champion, Lewis Crocker plus Nelson Asofa-Solomona vs George Burgess. | Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports.
Yet while Burgess remains filthy over what he has privately said was a huge show of disrespect, Asofa-Solomona told Fighting Words there will be no apology for a situation that was effectively out of his control.
He added that the man making his pro debut on June 24 also needs to understand his place in the pecking order for promoters No Limit.
“I understand George might want an apology,” NAS told us this week, “but he won’t be getting one.
“On the day of our ‘Face Off’ interview, I missed my morning flight up to Sydney. That’s where I was. So what does he want me to do?
“I know George is a big fella, but I didn’t realise he’s also a gigantic sook.
“Honestly, I didn’t know he had this in him.
“By the time I arrived, he was acting like it was the end of the world. Apparently, he’d already been moping around for ages, saying I was disrespectful, that I was wasting his time and whatever else.
“And then when we were finally across from each other at the table, he just sat there, complete silence.
“But as I said, I missed my flight and got there as soon as I could.”
Asofa-Solomona also had a simple message for Burgess concerning the rest of the fight build.
“George needs to understand he’s the B side in this fight,” he said. “I realise this is a guy who loves the attention, who loves the camera, and is an actor by trade.
“So who knows? Maybe George thought he was going to be the main character for this one, too.
“But he’s not.
“Unfortunately for him, I’m the guy with the script. He’s just another character in my story … and I already know how this one plays out.”
TEAM OPETAIA: “YOU CAN’T MAKE THIS S*** UP”.
Jai Opetaia’s team remain convinced his next fight will be against WBC cruiserweight champ Noel Mikaelian, despite an array of dramas emerging via stripping threats, David Benavidez, even an ageing Don King.
As first revealed by this column last month, Opetaia and Mikaelian are already deep into negotiations for what was initially expected to be an August championship bout in Las Vegas.
In recent days however, WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman has thrown a serious spanner into the works by suggesting Mikaelian will be stripped of his belt if he commits to fighting Australia’s unbeaten Zuffa champ.
Instead, the WBC has ordered a unification bout between Mikaelian and Benavidez, the American superstar who only recently claimed both WBO and WBA gold from Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez.
Speaking with Fighting Words about the situation this week, Opetaia’s manager Mick Francis conceded the whole thing “just doesn’t make any sense”.
“And I don’t think it will happen,” he said of the fight against Mikaelian being canned. “I think Jai will still end up fighting Noel next, and sometime in late August.
“As you know, Jai Opetaia needs to fight someone inside the Ring top five or he gets stripped of that belt. And Noel is at number four — so it’s the ideal fight.
“And Noel wants the fight.
“I actually think if the WBC pushes on [with stripping threats] there’s a chance Noel will vacate and fight Jai because he knows this is the fight where he gets paid. And it’s also the fight where he’s convinced he has the better chance of winning for some reason.
“But good on him for being convinced of that and putting his hand up. There’s a lot of guys out there who could be fighting Jai but continually find excuses.”
Francis added another issue was Mikaelian’s ageing US promoter King, now 94.
“Some of the things he’s demanding, you can’t make the s*** up,” the Tasman Fighters boss said. “But while he’s been difficult to deal with, we’re still absolutely looking to make that fight next.”
FUNDORA TIPS TSZYU TO EDGE SPENCE
Tim Tszyu’s old rival Sebastian Fundora believes the Aussie fighter will hold a crucial edge when he faces American superstar Errol Spence Jr in next month’s blockbuster showdown.
The world champ was asked for his prediction on the July 26 bout and admitted he is leaning towards Tszyu, despite stressing the enormous respect he still has for Spence.
‘The Towering Inferno’ believes Tszyu’s recent activity could prove decisive against an opponent who has been on the sidelines a long time.
“I think that it’s an interesting fight,” he told FightHype. “Tszyu has been losing, but at least he has been active, Spence hasn’t been seen anywhere in boxing, in the ring.
“I don’t know. I think losing to Crawford like that and then taking the layoff like that and then getting into a car accident, these things are bigger losses than the losses that Tsyzu had.
“I favour Tszyu in the fight. I wouldn’t be surprised if Spence knocks him out, I mean Spence is still one of the top dogs, you can never take that away from him, but it’s just too much of a layoff for anybody in anything.
“He just can’t expect to come back into the ring and be that guy that he was before.”
TRUMP WANTS WHITE HOUSE CAGE TO STAY
Donald Trump has overnight suggested an Octagon may remain on the White House lawn for the entirety of his presidency, likening the current constructions for UFC Freedom 250 to France’s iconic Eiffel Tower.
Now less than two weeks out from the $60 million blockbuster, and construction is well underway for the historic Washington DC event.
And while it is unclear how long the structure – which includes the infamous ‘Claw’ — will stay on the White House lawn, Trump has suggested he may keep it there for as long as he can.
Explaining his decision on TikTok, Trump said: “Many don’t know that in Paris, France, the Eiffel Tower, 1889, it was built … it was supposed to be taken down immediately after the World’s Fair. [But] they said, ‘You know, we sort of like it. Let’s leave it up a little bit longer.’ And then they said let’s leave it up longer and longer and longer. Well, they never took it down.
“You know, we’re building something in front of the White House that’s quite attractive to a lot of people. It’s going to have the big UFC fight on June 14. And I’m looking at it and maybe we’ll never, ever take it down.”
BEAU RYAN HEADED TO UFC WHITE HOUSE
Still on the White House card, and Triple M personality Beau Ryan is the latest Australian to be given a gig on ground at the impending UFC blockbuster, and will jet out for Washington DC next week with a crew including Fox League’s Matty Johns and UFC featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski.
As revealed on Monday, Volk will be getting himself an incredible behind-the-scenes look at the White House event given he will be cornering for Brazilian lightweight Mauricio Ruffy.
The UFC champ will also be partnering up with Johns for two big preview shows out of Washington which – dubbed ‘Matty & Volk at the White House’ – will run on Friday and Saturday evening next week.
SHIELDS WELCOMES TSZYU FIREFIGHT
Errol Spence Jr’s trainer Ronnie Shields is expecting an all-out war when his fighter takes on Tim Tszyu in Australia next month.
The renowned coach, who has been working closely with “The Truth” in preparation for the blockbuster showdown, was asked how he plans to keep Spence out of danger against the aggressive Aussie.
While Shields revealed he has been encouraging Spence to make greater use of his jab, he conceded there will be no avoiding the exchanges once Tszyu begins applying pressure.
“A firefight is going to happen and you can’t back away from it,” Shields said on The Last Stand Podcast. “Tim Tszyu is this guy who comes straight forward. He’s going to get close.
“We’re not going to be holding and wrestling. No, we’re going to throw punches. A firefight is definitely going to happen. I’m not going to take that away from Spence.
“This is going to be a 12-round firefight and I’ve already put that in his head. We’re not running from this guy. I want to meet him in the middle of the ring and control the middle.”
“I WIN THAT FIGHT”: UNDEFEATED AUSSIE’S BIG CHARLO CALL
Australia’s leading super middleweight Max McIntyre says he would’ve loved a crack at America superstar Jermall Charlo, declaring: “I believe 100 per cent that I win that fight”.
Undefeated in all 10 professional appearances, the hyped Queenslander dubbed ‘Money’ says he hasn’t been approached about throwing down against Charlo on the same night Tim Tszyu faces Errol Spence Jnr.
Yet despite the snub, the hyped 21-year-old is still readying for the biggest step up of his career after this week announcing he will instead throw down in July against Ukraine’s Bohdan Sobol for the WBA Intercontinental title.
“Although if I’d been offered Charlo, I absolutely would’ve jumped at the opportunity,” McIntyre told us. “And that’s because I believe 100 per cent that I win that fight.
“So far in my career, I haven’t even shown half of what I can do.
“But only a few months back, I was in Las Vegas sparring WBC champ Lester Martinez. I also did rounds at the Top Rank gym with Al Stanton, who is the main sparring partner for Terence Crawford.
“When I first walked into the gym over there too, no one wanted a bar of the young, Aussie kid. But once I started sparring, everyone became more inviting.
“And knowing I was able to not only hang with those guys but perform extremely well, it’s given me real belief in my ability to beat those top guys.”
McIntyre also said he was likely done with the domestic scene.
“We’ve sent contract offers to every guy who has called me out on social media,” he said.
“Offered deals to everyone at the top of the Australian scene.
“But so far, nobody has replied. So we’re going international now … I’m going to hunt down my fights there.”
AUSSIE OFFERED $350K TO QUIT FIGHT
Andrew Moloney has revealed he was offered almost $350,000 to step away from this Saturday’s IBF super flyweight showdown against Willibaldo Garcia in Japan.
Having already been twice robbed in huge title fights, 35-year-old Moloney has declared “my dream isn’t for sale” as he readies to face Garcia some seven years after holding a secondary version of the WBA strap.
Despite being offered a huge sum to step aside – and allow US superstar Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez the opportunity to unify – Moloney will instead earn a fraction of that figure as part of his push to become world champion.
“And I get that it’s business,” Moloney told The Punch Podcast. “But it felt like everyone was trying to stop this fight from happening except for me and my team.
“Willibaldo’s camp wanted to fight Bam, obviously. Bam was desperate to get the undisputed fight because they’re potentially talking about moving up.
“So everyone was trying their best to stop this from happening even though I was in the mandatory position. They threw a hell of a lot of money at me to step aside … but my dream isn’t for sale. I’m having this fight.”
On the figure, he said: “It was roughly $250,000 US dollars. Which is a hell of a lot of money. Particularly to not fight. But I didn’t even think twice about it … my whole life has been about becoming world champion and I wasn’t willing to sell that.”
GSP EXPLAINS WHY ANDERSON FIGHT NEVER HAPPENED
It remains the biggest fight MMA fans never got to see.
Now, UFC legend Georges St-Pierre has revealed exactly why his superfight with fellow great Anderson Silva never materialised.
“That’s one of the biggest regrets of the fans,” St-Pierre said on a podcast with Demetrious Johnson.
“So what happened was, at the time I was in my prime and Anderson Silva was in his prime, I can only speak from my side because I don’t know what was happening on his side, but I was only asked once (if I would do the fight) by Dana.
“I had requests because I was like, ‘Okay, you want me to get out of my weight class, I need to be compensated’ because it’s different…
“My requests were that I wanted it to be put in the contract that I wanted to be compensated (with more money), I wanted it to be done at catchweight.
Wild finish ends in stoppage controversy | 01:35
“And the third (stipulation) was that I wanted to have drug testing implemented and the (UFC) never got back to me, they never (responded).
“I said ‘if you make it 180lbs catchweight I’m in, and if you compensate me, I’m in’, but they didn’t follow up with that.”